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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. ball — a great time
  3. sharp — clever
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. firm — a company
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. cap — of ice
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. firm — decided
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. ball — a dance
  16. cap — a lid
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. branch — a division
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cap — a hat
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a music group

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com